Sr. Medical Director, Rheumatology - US Remote

Fortrea•Durham, CA

4d•$240,000 - $340,000•Remote

About The Position

Fortrea is seeking a dedicated US remote based Medical Director or Senior Medical Director with deep expertise in Rheumatology along with background in innovative therapies, including cell and gene therapy. The incumbent will provide medical leadership and oversight across all phases of development, including early-phase innovation and late-phase global programs. Responsible for supporting the development activities of proposed and ongoing projects in their area of expertise, as well as medical monitoring to assigned clinical studies. The (Senior) Medical Director will serve as a key medical representative in client interactions, business‑development discussions, and proposal presentations. The role will further foster and enhance relationships with global clinical operations teams and provide leadership as the Leading Physician for Phase I–IV clinical trials. We are particularly interested in candidates who have led or supported rheumatology clinical programs and who are comfortable serving as the study physician, providing medical monitoring oversight (e.g., safety review, contribution to protocol development, including study design, endpoints and eligibility criteria) and working collaboratively with other project team members. In addition to strong scientific leadership, the role is expected to be highly client-facing with an increased business development component - requiring regular engagement at executive level, and the confidence and polish to represent Fortrea with senior client leaders, external partners, and other key stakeholders.

Requirements

MD Degree
Board Certification in Internal Medicine
Specialization in Rheumatology and broader therapeutic experience in autoimmune diseases (AID)
3+ years of substantial knowledge of drug development and extensive clinical research experience within the pharmaceutical/CRO industry (or as a clinical trial investigator)
English language skills: Full professional proficiency

Nice To Haves

Specific expertise in cell and gene therapy in autoimmune diseases (AID)
Industry experience inclusive of clinical trials medical monitoring experience or other relevant clinical development/trial experience at a CRO, pharmaceutical company, regulatory agency
Strong scientific communication and client‑facing capabilities, including presenting scientific expertise, supporting proposals, and strengthening external partnerships

Responsibilities

High level Medical TA and Clinical Trial Subject Matter Expertise (SME) contributions (may be Regional or Global).
SME Cross-functional, scientific & technical contributions and interactions with Clients Medical teams, Project teams, Key Opinion Leaders and at Principal Investigator/Site levels.
Partner with clients and internal teams to support business development - shaping clinical/medical strategy for proposals, bid defences, and client discussions.
Provide oversight of medical monitoring activities to ensure timelines and quality of medical deliverables and assigns physician resources as required.
According to the scope of work, may serve as Global Lead, Regional or Program Project Physician across multiple indications.
Provide subject matter and drug development expertise and is a key contributor to the medical strategy and execution of the study/program for the client.
Provides input, review and revision of protocols, case report forms, training materials, project specific tools, analysis plans design, clinical trial reports and new drug applications.
Prepares materials for and actively participates in investigator meetings and assists at site initiation visits.
Provides medical/scientific expertise to project team.
And any other duties as required or assigned.